[alleramilitaria]

MoD Pattern Room

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE PATTERN ROOM AND SMALL ARMS TECHNICAL INFORMATION CENTRE TO BE GIFTED TO THE ROYAL ARMOURIES MUSEUM

The MoD Pattern Room is the world’s largest working reference collection of military small arms from 1850 to current experimental, prototype and issue examples. Due to a combination of factors the collection, formerly housed at the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield and latterly BAe Systems Royal Ordnance factory Nottingham, needed a new home.

After careful research into a number of options, the Royal Armouries, with its own superb collection of small arms from all ages, was chosen as the best option. Not only was this a cost effective solution, it also took into account that this would be both beneficial to and enhance services provided to users and those undertaking academic research. The combination of these two collections will form the National Firearms Centre at the Royal Armouries.

The MoD Pattern Room will cease operations in May 2005 while the collections are being unified. The collection is not open to the general public, however bonfide researchers will be able to request access to the Centre once it is reopened in the Autumn of 2005.


THE ROYAL ARMOURIES AND THE PATTERN ROOM TO FORM THE NATIONAL FIREARMS CENTRE

The new arrangement means that the Royal Armouries will become the world’s leading repository of historic and current firearms, and an international centre of excellence without equal. This will become the National Firearms Centre.

The Royal Armouries looks forward to building on the Pattern Room’s exceptional work in serving its world-wide clientele and re-establishing the historic link between the two organisations which existed in the Tower of London in the early 19th century.

Now the two major collections of British military sealed pattern weapons are being brought together so that the full story of the British serviceman’s small arms can be told in one institution

Work on the new site to house the collection started in early 2005 and is due for completion this year. The gifting of the MoD Pattern Room is scheduled for September of the same year.

The new National Firearms Centre should become operational in the Autumn of 2005.